The NCS Competitive Cheer Competition Championships were hosted at Campolindo High School on Jan. 17. Varsity cheer teams from all around the NorCal region came to compete against each other and show off their practiced routines. This competition is one of the biggest ones in the competitive cheer season, so the weight on every team was heavy, including Campolindo’s varsity Competitive Cheer Team. The varsity Comp team has worked persistently in preparing their routine for the judges who critique every move down to the smiles on the cheerleaders’ faces.
Due to the significance of this competition, the Varsity Comp team has had to increase the intensity of their practices to feel adequately prepared for their performance. Sophomore Hannah Buchman says, “Practices are 100% higher intensity in the weeks leading up to a competition…when you’re about to compete, then it’s very much like we have to [practice] this routine as many times as we can and we have to do it the best we can.” The team also does not have much time to practice their routine. Junior Emily Wolinski said, “since we have a competition [the week of] we have to have our routine down to a ‘T’ so we’re definitely practicing a lot more, and it’s just really stressful [because] we’re trying to get everything perfect.” Perfecting every detail of a routine is important before competing, and it’s an exhausting process.
The week of a competition will always be more difficult compared to other weeks. Senior varsity Cheer Competition Captain Isabelle Porcella said “the closer you get to a competition you start running more fullouts (a run through of the routine while doing every skill) which just requires so much endurance, and not only is that physically exhausting but also just knowing you have to go into practice and do all of that can be really intimidating.” Competition weeks are sometimes really extreme, and although it works towards a good outcome for the success of the performance, it impacts both the cheerleaders’ physical and mental well-being. Support from individuals on and off the team becomes really important.
We often hear the saying “hard work always pays off” and the varsity team experienced it to be true during their performance. With confidence in their routine, Buchman said, “Honestly, I feel like I speak for a lot of the team when I say [I felt] a lot of excitement [before taking the mat].” Wolinski felt similar to Buchman: “I was excited because even if things didn’t hit or go up, we still just had fun.” Despite being eager to perform, Porcella still felt some of her pre-performance nerves before taking the mat on Saturday. “I was definitely a little nervous, but the second you step into the gym and just look at all the people, that’s where I black out and just have to do it…But I always find fun in performing for the audience,” said Porcella.
As a captain, Porcella helps run and manage the team to help them feel and look their absolute best. “[There’s] a lot of just managing practices, helping each girl on the team and their stunt group get what they need to feel prepared both in their skills and mentally, and then of course all the minor things that are like picking out the hair. When we’re meeting, [overall] just communicating that in our group chats,” Porcella said. Being a team captain requires dedication, hard work, and responsibility. The week of a competition is a time that calls for those skills.
Throughout competition season, the Varsity Competitive Cheer team dedicates hours of time and puts in every ounce of energy they can muster into improving their short, yet dazzling routine. Through the draining process of preparing for a competition, it can be hard to appreciate the good that emerges from those moments. Spending so much time working and performing together, has bonded the team closely and continues to connect them as the season progresses.
